Ep 271 Business Growth Do's and Don'ts to Drive Profit with Carolyn Lowe
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Release Date: 05/27/2025
Ep 288 Your P&L Is Lying—Here’s What to Track with Laresa McIntyre
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Your P&L Is Lying—Here’s What to Track with Laresa McIntyre Stop Chasing Revenue: How Fractional CFOs Clear the Financial Fog Most business owners measure success by one thing: revenue growth. The problem? Revenue isn’t cash—and it doesn’t always translate into profit. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, I sat down with Laresa McIntyre, founder of Rockbridge CFO, to uncover the blind spots that keep owners stuck in financial fog. Laresa brings over 15 years of CFO experience and now helps service-based businesses scale smarter with fractional CFO...
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Ep 286 The Profit Pitfalls Most Business Owners Miss with Lisa Hennigar
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
The Profit Pitfalls Most Business Owners Miss with Lisa Hennigar Most business owners don’t lose profit because of one big mistake — it’s usually a thousand tiny leaks. From not knowing your why, to ignoring customer service, to failing to track the right numbers, the truth is this: profit slips away quietly while you’re busy working hard. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, I sit down with Lisa Hennigar, Vice President of Franchise Development at ERA Group and a nationally recognized franchise strategist with over 22 years in the industry. Lisa has worked with everyone...
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Ep 285 Right People, Right Seats: The Hidden Profit Killer in Your Business with Pam Meissner
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Right People, Right Seats: The Hidden Profit Killer in Your Business with Pam Meissner When profit is slipping, most businsess owners look to cut costs or push sales harder. But what if your biggest drain isn’t on the P&L at all—it’s in your people? In this episode of Profit Answer Man, Pam Meissner—COO and CFO at CathCap—pulls back the curtain on why “right people, right seats” isn’t just an HR slogan. It’s one of the most powerful levers for profit growth that most companies ignore until it’s too late. The Gap: Why Profit Leaks Hide in Your...
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Ep 284 Freedom by Design: How to Build a Profitable Business That Serves Your Life with Michael Walsh
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Freedom by Design: How to Build a Profitable Business That Serves Your Life with Michael Walsh Most entrepreneurs start their journey with the dream of freedom—yet many quickly find themselves trapped by the very businesses they built. Revenue grows, responsibilities pile up, and the joy of entrepreneurship fades into overwhelm. In this Episode of the Profit Answer Man, I sat down with Michael Walsh, founder of the Walsh Business Growth Institute and author of Freedom by Design, to unpack how business owners can create companies that support—not suffocate—their lives. Michael has...
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Ep 283 Boost Sales Without Spending a Dime with Tracy Beavers
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Boost Sales Without Spending a Dime with Tracy Beavers Why “More Sales” Isn’t Fixing Your Profit Problem (And What It’s Really Costing You) Ever wondered why your revenue is growing, but your bank account still feels empty? You’re not alone. Most business owners equate more sales with more profit, only to find themselves in the same cycle of financial stress. The truth? Sales without strategy create a dangerous illusion of success—and the hidden cost is your peace of mind, cash flow, and ultimately, your business’s survival. The pain goes deeper: Financial Cost:...
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Ep 282 Profitable But Worthless? How to Build a Business Buyers Actually Want with Justin Goodbread
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Profitable But Worthless? How to Build a Business Buyers Actually Want with Justin Goodbread Why High Profit ≠ High Value—And How That Mistake Could Cost You Millions Most business owners are chasing profit… But what if the very thing you’re chasing is keeping you trapped? Imagine this: You’re running a “successful” business with strong margins and great income. You’re paying yourself well, your spouse is on payroll, and life feels comfortable. Until the day you try to sell… and no one wants to buy. This episode of Profit Answer Man reveals...
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Ep 281 Why Most Marketing Fails—And How to Make Yours Finally Pay Off with Andrew Gregory
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
Why Most Marketing Fails—And How to Make Yours Finally Pay Off with Andrew Gregory Why Most Marketing Fails to Deliver Profit—And How to Fix It Marketing agencies promise leads. But what if leads aren’t your problem? Thousands of small business owners are stuck in the same trap: they’re spending money on ads, but their bank accounts still feel tight. The real issue? Bad leads, broken follow-up systems, and a total disconnect between sales and profitability. In this episode of Profit Answer Man, marketing expert Andrew Gregory breaks down the hidden cost of poor...
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Ep 280 How to Solve the Real Problem Killing Your Profit with Doug C. Brown
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How to Solve the Real Problem Killing Your Profit with Doug C. Brown Why Sales ≠ Profit—And the Blind Spots That Bleed Cash The Profit Gap: Why More Sales Might Be Making You Broke You’re pushing for more revenue. Your team is grinding. But your bank balance isn’t growing. In fact, you're more stressed, your margins are tighter, and your team is overwhelmed. Why? Because most businesses chase symptoms—like “bad sales teams” or “slow growth”—instead of finding and fixing the true root cause. Doug C. Brown, a $900M revenue growth expert, exposes...
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Ep 279 The Purpose of Business is to Make Money with David Schomer
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
The Purpose of Business is to Make Money with David Schomer Why Scaling an E-Commerce Brand Can Bankrupt You (Unless You Fix This First) The Hidden Cost of Growth Nobody Talks About It’s every entrepreneur’s dream: launch a brand, grow revenue, and finally fire your boss. David Schomer lived that dream—scaling a pet supply company on Amazon before going full-time in e-commerce. But what most business owners don’t realize (until it's too late) is that scaling too fast without financial structure can choke your cash flow and starve your business of profit. You can hit record sales...
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Ep 278 How Storytelling Can Drive Your Profits with Seth Donlin
Profit Answer Man: Scaling with Profit First & Beyond
How Storytelling Can Drive Your Profits with Seth Donlin Why Visibility ≠ Growth—And How It’s Quietly Costing You Profits Most business owners think the next breakthrough in revenue will come from ads, funnels, or more hustle. But what if the real opportunity is getting in front of someone else’s audience—without spending a dollar on ads? In this episode of Profit Answer Man, we expose the costly visibility gap most owners don’t realize is bleeding their business. Seth Donlin shares why chasing attention isn't enough—and how strategic podcast guesting can...
info_outlineBusiness Growth Do's and Don'ts with Carolyn Lowe
Scaling Smarter – How Carolyn Lowe Uses Profit First to Power High-Growth Amazon Brands
Are your people profitable—or just payroll? In this episode of The Profit Answer Man, we're diving deep into the often-ignored truth of agency growth: labor isn't your biggest expense—it’s your biggest risk. Carolyn Lowe, founder of ROI Swift and a fierce advocate for Profit First, reveals the real math behind scaling service businesses profitably and sustainably.
Carolyn isn’t just another agency owner. She’s scaled brands from $30K to $600K/month profitably on Amazon, lived the corporate gauntlet at Dell, and now advises brands on how to grow without burning through their cash. From Fortune 100 boardrooms to scrappy startup trenches, she’s seen it all—and she’s here to break down what works.
If you're serious about growing your business without losing your sanity or your margins, this is an episode you can't afford to miss.
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
- Why overstaffing is the silent killer of service businesses—and how Carolyn avoids it with a simple ratio.
- How ROI Swift uses labor efficiency ratios to guide every hiring decision.
- The surprising connection between lean teams and explosive profit margins.
- Why Profit First is a must-have playbook in low-margin, high-volume industries like Amazon services.
- How Carolyn applies EOS-style thinking to team structure and profitability.
Key Takeaways:
- 85% of expenses = people. In a service-based agency, margin management begins (and ends) with smart staffing.
- Labor Efficiency Ratio (LER) is Carolyn’s north star. For every $1 in wages, her team must generate $2–$3 in revenue.
- Profit First is not optional. Even in hyper-growth, ROI Swift sticks to its allocations to avoid chaos and cash crunches.
- Growth ≠ headcount. Carolyn scaled a brand 20x by improving systems—not just hiring more people.
- If your profit is shrinking, look at your payroll first. Staffing bloat is the most common margin killer in scale-stage businesses.
About Carolyn Lowe:
Carolyn Lowe founded ROI Swift in 2015 after seeing too many small brands overpay for underwhelming agency results. Her mission? Help 500 emerging brands grow profitably on Amazon. With a track record of turning brands from red to roaring—in one case from $30K/mo unprofitable to $600K/mo profitably in under 2 years—Carolyn walks her talk. She's also the author of Business Do’s and Absolute Don’ts, distilling wisdom from her work at Dell, Costco, Amazon, and multiple startups.
Oh, and fun fact? She’s a licensed pilot (though these days she’s too busy helping brands take off).
Conclusion: Growth is a Math Problem—So Do the Math
Carolyn Lowe doesn’t scale businesses by guessing. She uses math, metrics, and Profit First to create profitable growth without chaos. If you're tired of hiring ahead of revenue—or watching your payroll eat your profit—this episode gives you the blueprint.
Links:
Website: https://roiswift.com
LinkedIn ROI Swift - https://www.linkedin.com/company/roi-swift/
LinkedIn Carolyn Lowe – https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynbyronlowe/
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@profitanswerman
Sign up to be notified when the next cohort of the Profit First Experience Course is available!
Profit First Toolkit: https://lp.profitcomesfirst.com/landing-page-page
Relay Bank (affiliate link): https://relayfi.com/?referralcode=profitcomesfirst
Profit Answer Man Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/profitanswerman/
My podcast about living a richer more meaningful life: http://richersoul.com/
Music provided by Junan from Junan Podcast
Any financial advice is for educational purposes only and you should consult with an expert for your specific needs.
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